|
Addressing Veteran Substance Use:Promoting Recovery Through Collaboration and Compassion
| |
Date: March 3, 2026
Time: 2:00–3:30 p.m. ET
Substance use among Veterans and Service Members continues to be a critical behavioral health challenge that intersects with trauma, pain management, and the transition to civilian life. Veterans are at significantly higher risk of developing a substance use disorder (SUD) as compared to non-veterans. Veterans with SUD are also more likely to suffer from a mental illness or experience homelessness (Lloyd, Prakash, and Terplan, 2024). Federal, state and local agencies are continually working to reduce the prevalence of SUD among Service Members, Veterans and their families (SMVF).
This webinar will explore evidence-informed strategies, emerging trends, and innovative models that support recovery and resilience among SMVF. Presenters will discuss the importance of coordinated care across systems including the Department of Veterans Affairs, state health authorities, and community-based organizations. The presenters will highlight programs that are improving access to effective substance use treatment and long-term recovery support.
Join us for this conversation as we bring together leaders from the Department of Veterans Affairs, the SAFE Project, and the Oregon Health Authority to share practical tools, lessons learned, and resources for those working to address substance use and promote wellness across the military and Veteran continuum of care.
This webinar will be followed by a learning community series exploring each of these topics in greater detail. If you are interested, you can get further information via upcoming issues of our monthly enewsletter, “Topics in the News” or from our Upcoming Events page.
Eliza Lloyd, Krithika Prakash, MS, and Mishka Terplan, MD, MPH, (2024) Veterans & Substance Use Disorder (SUD): Evidence-Based Strategies & Programs, with contribution from Cheryl Holm-Hansen, MA, PhD, and edited by Emily Warthman, JD, MPH (University Park, PA: Research-to-Policy Collaboration, Pennsylvania State University). https://evidence2impact.psu.edu/resources/veterans-substance-use-disorder-sud-evidence-based-strategies-programs/
| |
Learning Objectives - Understand current trends in substance use among Veterans and Service Members, including co-occurring mental health and trauma-related conditions.
- Explore effective approaches and treatment models supported by VA, the SAFE Project, and state partners.
- Learn about federal and state resources that can enhance coordination of recovery services and community partnerships.
Presenters - Department of Veterans Affairs (VA): Jay A. Gorman, Ph.D., Clinical Research Psychologist, Director, Social Reintegration Research Program and Veteran Outreach Into the Community to Expand Social Support (VOICES); Director of Education, VISN 1 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC), VA Bedford Healthcare System
- SAFE Project: Adam Swift, Director of SAFE Veterans, SAFE Project
- Oregon SUD Provider Training: Susan Davis, LPC, CADC I, Veteran and Military Behavioral Health Liaison, Oregon Health Authority, Behavioral Health Division, Outpatient Services and Strategic Initiatives
| |
Jay A. Gorman, Ph.D., Clinical Research Psychologist, Director, Social Reintegration Research Program and Veteran Outreach Into the Community to Expand Social Support (VOICES); Director of Education, VISN 1 Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC), VA Bedford Healthcare System
Dr. Jay Gorman is a Clinical Research Psychologist and Director of Education at the New England Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC) at the VA Bedford Health Care System. He also serves as an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Boston University School of Medicine. Dr. Gorman's research focuses on substance use interventions and trauma-informed procedures within treatment programs. He leads the Veteran Outreach Into the Community to Expand Social Support (VOICES) team, which enhances Veteran social connection, community engagement, and access to care. Additionally, Dr. Gorman is a member of the National Peer Support Services Think Tank, coordinated by the VA Office of Peer Support Services, where he contributes to advancing peer support initiatives. He also serves on the U.S. Government Social Connection Coordination Interagency Team, collaborating across agencies to address national issues related to isolation and loneliness.
| |
Adam Swift, Director of SAFE Veterans, SAFE ProjectAdam Swift is the Director of SAFE Veterans at SAFE Project, a national nonprofit that aims to save lives impacted by substance use and mental health challenges through overdose prevention and response, education on stigma, and the development of prevention and recovery programs.
Adam brings more than 26 years of leadership experience from the U.S. Air Force, where he retired as a Chief Master Sergeant. His military career focused on behavioral health navigation, crisis response, suicide prevention, and program management, supporting service members and their families.
Grounded in prevention, connection, and dignity, Adam is deeply committed to reducing stigma and strengthening pathways to care in partnership with community, government, and nonprofit agencies. A lifelong servant leader, he remains dedicated to practical, hands-on work that supports veterans in building resilient, healthy lives.
| |
Susan Davis, LPC, CADC I, Veteran and Military Behavioral Health Liaison, Oregon Health Authority, Behavioral Health Division, Outpatient Services and Strategic InitiativesSusan Davis is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor in Oregon with over ten years of experience working with serious persistent mental illness, personality disorders, and co-occurring disorders. Susan is an Army Veteran, trained in intelligence collection, and spent six years working with forensic in-patient clients at the Oregon State Hospital, specializing in behavioral interventions, trauma and anxiety, and substance use treatment. She currently acts as the Veteran and Military Behavioral Health Liaison with the Behavioral Health Division of the Oregon Health Authority, collaborating with federal, state, and community level SMVF service providing agencies. Susan continues to provide individual behavioral health counseling services to justice-involved individuals through private practice in Oregon.
| |
|
|
|
|
